


Your Strong Heart

by bookworm6570



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25309810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm6570/pseuds/bookworm6570
Summary: Barbara Maitland had a strong heart.Nothing seemed to break her.She'd lost her father at 17, raised her baby brother for 3 years, failed to conceive a child with the love of her life for years and once they did finally conceive, lose the child within weeks of having it. But she didn't let any of this break her.She truly did have a strong heart.
Relationships: Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland, Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland
Kudos: 11





	Your Strong Heart

**Barbara Maitland had a strong heart.**

**Nothing seemed to break her.**

**She'd lost her father at 17, raised her baby brother for 3 years, failed to conceive a child with the love of her life for years and once they did finally conceive, lose the child within weeks of having it. But she didn't let any of this break her.**

**Not even falling through the floorboards of her house and dying childless broke her. She knew she needed to stay strong and positive for her husbands sake. And for Lydia Deetz, the young, motherless teenager that moved into their house with her father and life-coach.**

**However, at night after the Deetz and her husband had gone to sleep, Barbara allowed herself to slip out of her happy personality and think over all the things that'd almost broken her. She was wrapped up in her husbands arms and let a ghostly tear escape her eye as she thought back on their child problem.**

**Negative**

The words stared up at Barbara, burning into her eyes. Sighing, she threw the useless test in the bin and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't her body be normal and just let her have a baby. That's what her body was made for. Babies. Yet, here she was, still childless at 31 and it didn't look like she'd be getting one anytime soon.

"Barb?" a knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She glanced at herself once more before forcing her face into a smile and opening the door.

"Hey honey" she said probably a little to cheerfully "How are you?"

"I'm fine" said Adam slowly, trying to work out why his wife was acting overly happy "Everything ok with you?"

"Yup" said Barbara, shutting the bathroom door and walking down the hall to their bedroom "What's for dinner?"

"Pasta" said Adam. He followed his wife "Are you sure you're ok?"

"100% fine" said Barbara, walking into the wardrobe and looking at her clothes with her back turned to him, letting the smile drop from her face for a second. "How long until dinner?"

"It's 4.00" said Adam, glancing at his watch and looking at her strangely "Dinner's not for at least an hour and a half, probably more" he sighed and leant on the door frame of the wardrobe, staring at his wife's back "Are you sure your ok honey? You seem a little..." he trailed off

"A little what?" asked Barbara, turning around with her fake smile "Fabulous?"

"Tense" said Adam "Tense or just off"

"Is it not ok for me to be happy?" asked Barbara, turning back to the wardrobe and looking through her shorts, settling on a pair of black exercise shorts and chucking them over Adams head onto the bed. Then she moved to Adams side of the wardrobe to look through his shirts.

"Barb, I can tell you're not happy" said Adam. Barbara stopped flicking through the shirts and sighed, her back still to him. "What's up?" asked Adam gently. Barbara picked up her favourite shirt of Adams and brought it up to her face, breathing in the comforting smell of him. "Barb?"

"Can I not be sad?" asked Barbara. She pushed past Adam and went over to the bed to get changed. Adam ran a hand down his face and watched his wife as she got changed out of her work clothes. Just as she was about to pull the shirt on, he stopped her with a question.

"Honey, you have every right to be sad. I just want to know what's up so I can help you"

"I took a test" sighed Barbara, putting the shirt down and looking down at her knees "It was negative again"

"Oh honey" Adam went and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry" she whispered

"For what?" asked Adam, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her onto his lap.

"Not being able to have a kid" said Barbara, twisting the shirt up in her hands

"Honey it's not your fault" said Adam "It is _not_ your fault, ok?"

"Who else's is it then?" asked Barbara quietly

"Could be mine" said Adam

"No" said Barbara, shaking her head "It's mine. I can feel it" a tear escaped her eye, slipping down her face and onto her legs. "I can completely understand if you want to leave me"

"Barbara, why would I ever want to leave you?" asked Adam  
"Because I can't have kids" said Barbara "It's my fault you can't use all your dumb dad jokes on a kid"

"My jokes aren't dumb" said Adam in an offended tone, lightly poking her in the stomach "They're fabulous"

"They're awful" said Barbara "Just ask Lizzie, she'll agree" the smile dropped off her face and she slumped down again.

"Barb, this isn't your fault" said Adam, turning her body so her body was facing him. He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug, burying his head in her neck, breathing down her back.

"But it is" said Barbara, then she wriggled and pulled away, giggling lightly "That tickles"

"There's my happy girl" said Adam. He poked her lightly in the ribs, making her squirm away from him again. He smirked and tickled her again, making her laugh that time.

"Adam... stop" laughed Barbara. Adam pushed her onto the bed and crawled over her, tickling her more. "A-adam..."

"Say it's not your fault" said Adam, capturing both of her pale wrists in his one hand and ticking her upper ribs, making her shriek with laughter.

"B-but it is" wheezed Barbara, trying to roll away, only to discover that her husband and straddled himself over her, so she was trapped in between his legs. His hands were getting closer to her neck "S-stop"

"Not unless you say it" said Adam, tickling her neck, making tears of laughter appear in her eyes

"No" giggled Barbara, managing to push him off. She sat up to go, only to have him pull her back and he started tickling her legs. "ADAM!" she yelled, trying to push him away, but failing.

"Say it and I'll stop" said Adam, grabbing her ankle and ticking her foot.

"I-it's not m-my fau-lt' laughed Barbara. Adam released her foot and got off her other leg.

"Good girl" said Adam. Barbara frowned at him in a playful way and got up to search for the shirt that'd gone astray. "Wanna start dinner?"

"Isn't it early?" asked Barbara, grabbing the shirt and walking over to him. 'Hey, you're wearing my favourite shirt, can I have it?"

"It's mine" said Adam. Barbara gave him puppy dog eyes and held out the other shirt "Fine" Adam pulled the shirt off and handed it to her. "Thanks honey" she pulled the shirt on and kissed him. Then, without another moment, handed the other shirt to him and walked out of the room, pulling her messy hair into a pony tail. 

**Excitement**

That's the feeling that was surging through Barbara's body as she stared down at the positive pregnancy test in her hands. She was pregnant. Actually pregnant. She placed a hand on her stomach and let out a small laugh. Then, without a second thought, she stood up and skipped out of the bathroom, down the hall to their bedroom, where her husband was lying on his stomach, procrastinating.

"Hey Honey" said Adam, lifting his head up and looking at her "You look happy. What happened? One of your plants grow more?"

"No" said Barbara, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, her hands behind her back "I haven't checked on them today, I should though. They need watering" her mind wandered out to the backyard where her vegetable garden was growing.

"Then what's got you so happy?" asked Adam "And what's behind your back?"

"Catch" said Barbara. She threw the test at him and stood nervously by the bed. She had no idea why she was nervous. Adam had wanted children just as badly as she did, so she knew he'd be happy. She watched as Adam looked at the test. As his face grew from confusion to happiness in the space of a few seconds.

"Barbara...?" he looked up at her "Is this real?"

"Yup" said Barbara

"You mean we're gonna have a baby?" asked Adam

"We're going to have a baby" said Barbara. Adam threw the test down on the bed and ran to hug her. "Adam!" she said happily as he picked her up and spun her around "Adam, be careful" she giggled as he put her down.

"You're not joking?" he asked

"Nope" said Barbara. Adam pulled her into a tight hug and while she was wrapped tightly in his arms, it finally hit her. She was pregnant. Adam pulled away and cupped her face with his hands

"I love you" they said at the same time and then kissed. 

**The worst feeling ever**

Barbara was making dinner one night when her stomach cramped up. She put the carrot she was chopping up down and leant on the bench. Her stomach cramped again; this time worse.

"Adam!" she called out

"What's up?" shouted Adam from the garage where he was finishing up a small table and chair set for the local day care

"Adam!" she shouted more urgently, feeling something run down her legs "Adam, somethings wrong"

"What's up honey?" asked Adam, running into the kitchen. Barbara was still leaning against the bench, staring in horror at the blood that was tripping down her legs from under her dress.

"I think somethings wrong..." she started but doubled over as a painful crap hit her.

"Barb?" Adam gently helped her sit down on the floor and he looked at her with worry in his eyes.

"Adam, I don't think everything's right with the baby"

That night, Barbara sat on their bed with tears streaming silently down her face, just staring at the wall. She had suffered a miscarriage, one of her biggest fears. Adam didn't blame her. But she believed he should. It was her fault that they now didn't have a baby due in January. It was her fault that both their hearts now ached for what could've been and what would now never be. 

"Barb?" asked Adam gently, sitting next to her and looking at her "Do you need anything?"

"It's my fault" said Barbara, turning to look at him, her face glistening with tears "It's all my fault"

"Honey, none of its your fault" said Adam "Absolutely none of it"

"How do you know that?" asked Barbara   
"How do you know it's your fault?" asked Adam. Barbara let out a small sob and another wave of tears hit her. Adam inched closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She collapsed against him and cried into his chest. Adam gently rubbed her back and rocked side to side, letting a few tears of his own fall. Both of them yearned for what could've been but didn't dwell on the past. Instead they focused on the future.

**Barbara started shaking as more ghostly tears slid down her face. Adam woke up to his wife shaking as she cried. Adam looked at her in concern  
**

**"Whats up honey?" he asked  
**

**"I'm sorry" she whispered  
"For what?" he asked  
"Everything I couldn't give you when we were alive" replied Barbara  
"Oh honey, its not your fault" said Adam "None of it is" he brushed a strand of hair out of her face "You have gone through so much and have experienced so much heart break, and yet you remain positive everyday. It amazes me. Your strength helps me through every day. You have such a strong heart and I love you so much and I'm so proud of you"  
Barbara smiled and kissed him. Yes, she has suffered a lot of hardships throughout her life but she had remained strong. She did have a strong heart. A strong, brave, kind, loving heart.   
**

**That night, for the first time in a long time, Barbara fell asleep feeling happy.**


End file.
